1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dispenser for absorbent sheet products contained in roll form within a dispenser body, preferably paper towels.
2. Description of Related Art
Paper towel dispensers in which the towels are supplied in roll form are widely used in commercial establishments and have the advantage of relatively high capacity, and thus a less frequent need to replace the rolls. Most commercial paper towel rolls are eight inches in diameters, with other's being six inches. Therefore, most roll dispensers, if mounted on a wall, will project outward from the wall in excess of eight inches, taking into account that the surrounding housing structure will be at least slightly deeper than the diameter of the paper roll contained therein.
On the other hand, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that when a building or facility is under construction or undergoing significant alterations strict guidelines must be observed to ensure that it is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. In particular, buildings and facilities must follow the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG) which, among a variety of other requirements, specify that no objects may protrude beyond four inches in the space between 27 and 80 inches above the walking surface along a walkway, corridor or other path of travel, unless a lower-lying structure is provided that will serve as a cane stop to alert an approaching visually impaired individual.
Roll dispensers in public facilities might be regarded as being along a “path of travel” when installed in public restrooms or the like, and there is therefore a demand for roll dispensers that are ADA-compliant, in that they project no more than four inches from the wall on which they are mounted. This requires the dispenser to be recessed with the wall by four or more inches, or recessed within an in-built cabinet in the wall. Certain roll dispenser suppliers provide specially designed dispensers made to be recess-mounted, which requires them to design and stock another product in addition to their wall-mounted roll dispenser. Such recess-specific dispensers are unsuitable for wall mounting (i.e., not recessed mounting), because the structure intended to be received within the wall is made of stamped metal that has a variety of sharp edges and abrupt protuberances, which are unacceptable for safety reasons within publicly accessible spaces.